Weymouth and Dorchester Town were left bitterly frustrated as both had to settle for draws on home soil in league and cup respectively on Saturday
The Terras always looked more likely to score in their FA Trophy tie with Burnham, but the visitors came for the draw, and credit where credits due they did a job and got the result they came for. Weymouth found it tough to break them down and grew visibly frustrated as the game wore on.
Weymouth had the games first real chance when Adam Kelly saw an effort from the edge of the D fly just over the crossbar. Surprising, given he only usually misses if he’s inside the penalty area.
Kelly was at the centre of the action again after a quarter of an hour when he was brought down in the box. Despite mass protests the referee waved the penalty claims away, to everyone’s amazement. 9/10 times that would be considered a “stonewaller”.
Kelly was causing the visitors problems, and he was rather cynically taken down by a defender, even though the ball was gone and there was no danger. Incredibly, the referee again waved away the protests.
Into the second half, and Weymouth began to grow frustrated as they struggled to break down the stubborn Blues. They began to resort to long balls, but with Stewart Yetton on his own up front against two double decker buses, they were far from effective.
Chris Shephard hit a powefull strike from 25 yards which smashed the underside of the crossbar, before bouncing away to safety. That was probably a sign that it wasn’t to be for Weymouth.
Weymouth thought they’d finally broken the deadlock moments later, when a corner was played to the edge of the box and finished off by Chris Shephard, but the referee had already blown his whistle for… well, who knows really?
Burnham broke up the other end, and had a fantastic chance to nick it when Jordan Ajani-Ekoko’s powerfull header was cleared off the line by Jamie Laird.
Weymouth brought Tim Sills and Jordan Copp on with ten minutes left, and finally began to win a few headers.
It was Jordan Copp who thought he’d won it late on for Weymouth, when he latched onto a through ball and finished brilliantly – chipping it over the onrushing keeper and watching it bounce over the line. The crowd celebrated, only to see the linesman flagging for offside. A VERY marginal call.
Weymouth threw the kitchen sink at Burnham but just couldn’t find a breakthrough (or rather, one the ref would let us have), and were left bitterly frustrated with the 0-0 draw.
Burnham came for the draw and got what they wanted. Weymouth missed the injured Chris McPhee’s influence in midfield, they just seemed to lack any real tempo or flow until the final ten minutes or so.
The result means they now face two trips to Burnham in the next week, something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Mercifully however, Tuesday night’s replay doesn’t force any league fixtures to be rearranged. The winner of the replay will host Nothern Premier Division One strugglers Cray Wanderers, so a fantastic opportunity to make the first round proper.
Weymouth will still fancy their chances of making it through. Burnham should show a little more ambition to win the game at home, and you would think Weymouth would have enough to pick them off. By next weekend the two sides will be well and truly sick of the sight of eachother!
Frustration was also the name of the game north of the ridgeway, as Dorchester let a two goal lead slip at home to Cambridge City.
Sam Lanahan headed the Magpies into the lead on 22 minutes, as the Magpies made a bright start.
Dan Smith gave Dorchester a thoroughly deserved 2-0 lead early in the second half when he volleyed home Nick Crittenden’s cross. Dorchester were looking comfortable at that point and playing some of their best football of the season, but just four minutes after Dan Smith doubled the lead, the Magpies let the visitors back into it when Andrew Phillips halved the deficite.
There was then a break in play as the referee Daniel Leach went off injured. Once he was replaced, Cambridge City pushed for an equaliser.
It looked like Dorchester were going to hold on for a deserved and much needed 3 points, but with the clock showing 88 minutes, Oluwole Akinsanya popped up to snatch a late point for the Lillywhites.
Bitter dissapointment for the Magpies, and a result which will feel like a defeat. At 2-0 up at home to a lower midtable side, they really should be seeing that out to claim 3 points, but as the old saying goes: your at your most vulnrable when you’ve just scored, and the way they allowed City straight back into the game just after going 2-0 up will be a major frustration.
But on the plus side, it was a much improved performance from Dorchester, and they have at least halted a run of five consecutive defeats.
The performance will give the Magpies hope that they can get something from their next game, which will be one of their toughest tests of the season, as they welcome second in the table Corby Town to the Avenue Stadium,
The Steelmen have 37 points from their 18 games, and sit 4 points off the leaders Poole Town but they have played two games more. They also boast the league’s best away record, with six wins, two draws and just one loss fromt heir nine away league matches so far.
It’ll be an odd one for fans of Weymouth and Poole Town, who could both do with Dorchester doing them a favour and taking points off of Corby,
The Dolphins are safely through to the third qualifying round of the FA Trophy after a come from behind 2-1 victory at Biggleswade Town on Saturday.
It was the preverbial “game of two halves”, as Biggleswade dominated much of the first half, and Bossman’s 39th minute strike gave the hosts a 1-0 half time lead.
But Poole came out for the second half a different side, and they were given a perfect chance to draw level just minutes into the second half from the penalty spot, but Steve Devlin missed his spot kick. But his blushes were spared, as two goals in three minutes just before the hour mark turned the game on it’s head.
First Luke Burbridge pulled Poole level on 56 minutes, and with the hosts still reeling, the Dolphins hit them with a knockout blow as Jack Maloney put the Dolphins 2-1 up on 59 minutes. And that was the way it stayed.
Richard Gillespie made a welcome return to action for Poole Town. It’s great timing with the games coming thick and fast. His goals could prove pivotal in the final reckoning.
Poole have been rewarded for their win with a trip to Conference South side Staines Town. The two met in the 4thqualifying round of the FA Cup last season, and the Conference South side won the replay 1-0 at Tatnam, so it’ll be interesting to see how far Poole have come in that time.
Poole will try and play their Red Insure Cup tie at AFC Totton again this Tuesday night. They’ll be desperate to get the game on, otherwise it’ll result in the big Dorset Derby at the Bob Lucas Stadium next Tuesday being rearranged again.
A mention for Wimborne Town too, who also progressed in the FA Trophy with a 2-1 win at home to Northwood thanks to two goals from talisman Mark Gamble. They have been rewarded with another home tie against AFC Hornchurch who play at the level above. All the best to them.
James Spring
